Octopus Species Overview

Scientists have recognized more than 300 Octopus species. and there are hundreds more to be described and discovered. Scientists are still discovering new species. They live in the oceans around the world. They are only found in saltwater and they can live in regions that are either warm or cold.

They range in size from extremely small to quite large. There is plenty of misunderstanding out there about these animals.

The structure of their bodies with very large heads and eight legs going in all directions can be unnerving to some. You have to agree that the design of their anatomy is unlike any other creature in the world. They are extremely flexible too which is really neat because they can make the shape of their body to fit anything, even inside of a bottle lying on the ocean floor.

In many cultures, they are deemed as evil creatures that lurk at the bottom of the water. They are said to be waiting for ships to destroy and men to drag under the water to kill. However, they are virtually harmless to humans and have no desire to be in confrontations. In fact, they prefer to run and to hide when they feel that they are in any type of danger.

All Octopus species consume crustaceans, mollusks, and fish. The majority of their food sources have shells on them. They will use their beaks to break the shells and consume the insides of them. When they can’t do that because of a very hard shell they will release a toxin from glands in their body. This toxin will dissolve the shell quickly and they can get to the source of the food.

All species of Octopus hunt at night and they have amazing vision. During the day they spend their time relaxing and hiding from predators. They have the ability to change their pigment so they can blend into surroundings. That’s right, they can hide in plain sight at times because they look just like what they are against.

Coconut octopus – Amphioctopus marginatus

It can be hard to study these animals in depth due to their location. They don’t do well in captivity though so that creates an additional burden. They are well known to be very intelligent animals though. They are also consumed by people all over the world as a great type of food. Sometimes they are the main course and other times they are a side dish such as Octopus rice.

All of the species of Octopus have a very short life span so they have to mature rapidly. Some have a cycle of life, reproduction, and death in less than a year. On average they won’t live for more than five years. Experts believe their bodies are pre dispositioned to shut down after they mate. That urge to mate is one that is instinct-driven and they can’t avoid.

The number of eggs that can be deposited can be up to 200,000. It really depends on the size of the Octopus and the species. The reason why they have so many eggs is that very few of them will be able to survive to maturity themselves. Octopus are very interesting animals and they give us plenty to think about.

There are quite a few differences among the species of Octopus out there. If there is a particular one you are interested in you can find photos of them and information about their lives. It can be fun as well as educational to explore many of the different species in great detail. You will find that information is lacking though for many of them. There simply isn’t enough research that has been done to give full details. Hopefully in time that will be information we have access to.

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Seven-Arm Octopus – Haliphron Atlantic

Description

What makes the Seven-Arm Octopus stand out from the other 300 species is that it has one less arm than they all do. Well, that is how it appears anyway. They actually do have eight arms but one of them is extremely hard to notice. It is formed into a type of sac that is below the eyes. What is also known is that this look of seven arms is only for the males.

It is a very large species as well so it definitely gets quite a bit of recognition from both researchers and common people with an interest in these creatures. They can grow to a size of about 13 feet and weigh about 150 pounds. There is no size difference between males and females.

Distribution

This particular species of Octopus wasn’t identified until 2002. It was accidentally captured around the area of New Zealand. Researchers quickly took to the area to see what they could find out about them.

Behavior

This particular species of Octopus continues to follow suit with so many other species. It is highly intelligent with an ability to easily adapt to the environment. They are able to hide in cracks and crevices due to the flexibility of their bodies. They are also able to change colors to blend into their surroundings. They can do this by controlling their pigment.

Diet /Feeding

They consume a variety of different foods including fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. They tend to be opportunistic feeders instead of very picky as many other species of Octopus are. They have a very strong beak so they can almost always break through the shell of any food they capture.

When they aren’t able to they will drill holes in it and suck out the food source. As they attempt to capture their prey they can immediately immobilize them by biting them. This releases a very powerful venom into the body of their prey. These Octopuses do consume large amounts of food. They hunt at night and are able to sneak up on their prey due to blending in. They have remarkable eyesight so they have no trouble at all seeing in the waters.

Reproduction

When it is time for mating, the males will come into contact with females. It isn’t uncommon for the males to mate with several different females during a given season. The males will soon die after the mating season is over. This is due to a mechanism in their bodies that will shut it down after they are done creating sperm and depositing it into the body cavities of the females.

The females will carry the sperm with them for about four weeks before the eggs are ready to be fertilized by it. They can lay several thousand eggs at one time. They will find a place in the coral reef or in crevices to be able to deposit those eggs. The females stay very close to protect them from predators. They also keep them clean by blowing water on them and creating bubbles.

By the time that the eggs are ready to hatch the female is exhausted. She hasn’t eaten for a very long time and she is close to death. She won’t live long enough to see all of her eggs hatch. The young are able to swim and to find food on their own. They are vulnerable though and that is why the mortality rate is extremely high.

Human interaction

Sometimes this particular species of Octopus ends up tangled in the commercial fishing nets out there. It is believed they are following the sources of food in the water then this occurs. Many commercial fishermen are upset by the presence of this particular creature as it can result in lower yields of capture for them.

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Atlantic Pygmy Octopus – Octopus joubini

Description

The Atlantic Pygmy Octopus is very small, only about 5 ½ inches in length overall. Over 3 inches of that is the arms so the mantle part of the body isn’t very much to work with at all. They only weigh about 1 ounce as an adult which makes them one of the smallest species of Octopus in the world.

They can range in coloring due to the ability to change for camouflage. They are normally a whitish color with brown spots all over the body. Yet this can change in an instant depending on what they need to blend with.

Distribution

The Cayman Islands is a common location where these Octopus are found. They prefer water that is warm in temperature. They also seem to do extremely well in water that is clean. It is rare to see them living in areas out here where heavy pollution is a problem. As a result of that their natural habitat seems to be continually getting smaller.

They are great at hiding so you may be in a location where there are thousands of these Octopus. Yet you never see them due to them blending in, being in crevices, or inside of other objects. Even seasoned researchers can have a hard time finding them in their natural environment.

Behavior

Since the Atlantic Pygmy Octopus is so small, it is able to find shelter in very peculiar places. One of them that they commonly use is the inside of clamshells. They have also been known to crawl inside of cans, bottles, and other debris that can be found along the bottom of the water. They will pull of sand around the opening of the location they select so that they can be well hidden.

Many experts find this small Octopus to be fun to observe. They are very playful and seem to be extremely intelligent. They can problem-solve to make their environment one that fits well for their needs. They don’t interact with others unless they are trying to mate so their life is one of solidarity.

Diet /Feeding

These Octopuses consume large amounts of clams so they have to secrete a toxin that will discover the hard shell on most of them. They have a venom that they inject into the prey to paralyze it. They will eat a variety of crustaceans but they seem to be very picky about the taste of their food. They will develop a taste for certain foods and that is what they actively seek.

Reproduction

The Atlantic Pygmy Octopus is ready to mate when they are about 6 months of age. Between March and June is when the females give off a scent that they are ready for mating. The males will provide them with a sack of sperm that goes inside of the body cavity. Then the males will wander away and more than likely die within a couple of weeks.

The females find a location during that period of time where they can lay all of their eggs. They can offer thousands of extremely small eggs at one time. The task of using the sperm to fertilize each of them is a time-consuming task. When the young are born they are very small but developed and ready to tackle life on their own.

Human interaction

Many humans come into contact with the Atlantic Pygmy Octopus. There are quite a few videos found online with them being recorded in their natural habitat. If you have someone time check those videos out. It can be an amazing experience for you to see them moving around and interacting in their natural environment.

Blue Ringed Octopus.

Clever Small And Deadly

The size of a Blue Ringed Octopus is 10 to 20 cm (5 to 8 in). There are four different species of the venomousblue-ringed octopuses.
They aren’t a give away to predators or even to humans, The Octopus is lurking behind his incredible camouflage, armed with one of the most deadly weapons on earth.

The Blue Ringed Octopus carries enough venom to kill several human beings in just a matter of minutes. How many adults humans do you think I can kill?

Despite its modest size, is packed with enough poison to actually kill twenty-six full-grown human beings. Their bites are usually small and painless, and people often do not know they have been poisoned up until the effect starts to kick in.

Article Overview:

Poison

Anatomy

Predators

Reproduction

Diet/Feeding Habits

Habitat/Distribution

Behavior

Evolution

Habitat/Distribution

What happens if you get bitten by a blue-ringed octopus?

After 1-2 minutes, the venom paralyzes the victim by blocking the nerves system that controls muscles from transmitting messages.
The target will remain fully conscious, and Then Death usually occurs as a result of lack of oxygen.
The only way to survive is to get artificial respiration until help arrives.
The first 4 to 10 hours is the most dangerous.

What Is The Name Of the Poison The Blue Ringed Octopus?

The name of the blue-ringed octopus poison is The Chemical and toxin called Tetrodotoxin, and is produced in its salivary glands live bacteria.

Who poison are the Blue Ringed Octopuses venom?

Tetrodotoxin is one of the most poisoned chemicals produced by any animal, it is dazzling 1200 times more powerful than cyanide.

Has Anybody Got Killed By A Blue Ringed Octopus?

Tow people in Australia an one in Singapore. But Many have come close to death.

Trademark featureThey have the characteristic blue rings around their bodies, even when they change colors to blend into surroundings those bluish identifying marks are there.

They are normally a yellowish coloring but you may not see them in that original color. With the location where they live it can often be a brownish or a cream color that they will portray. That way they can really blend in well to the surroundings. The bluish coloring of them is quite distinct though so you should always be able to determine them from other types of Octopus.

Anatomy Invertebrates = No Bones

The body of the Blue-Ringed Octopus is very impressive. They are very small in size but their anatomy allows them to be very powerful. The body is very flexible due to the fact that they don’t have a skeleton. They are able to move very quickly through the water as well. The body is very small with an overall length of about 8 inches. However, the arms can spread very wide when they are trying to capture prey.

They are usually seen swimming in the water instead of crawling. They do lay sideways though which is why it is so easy for someone to end up stepping on them in the water. What is unique is that such a small creature can have such a powerful amount of venom in their bodies. It is a huge mystery when it comes to the design of their anatomy.

Evolution

There are experts out there with an explanation for that though. They believe that this powerful venom is the result of evolution. It has made it a powerful source to be reckoned with in the water. They believe that the venom has only continued to get stronger over time.

Evolution is a huge issue with any animal, it is a way to see where they once were and how that has allowed them to be shaped today. Yet there isn’t very much to know about the Blue-Ringed Octopus. It is really a mystery about how they came to be about. They have a body that is very different from other types of creatures that live in the water.

They have proven high levels of intelligence as well as the ability to adapt to their environment. It is believed that the ink sac they have is one part of evolution. It offers the Octopus a way of escaping predators so that they can survive.

Behavior

This is one of the most aggressive species of Octopus in the world. They aren’t as likely to run and hide as they normally would. They also will fight with other Octopus in the area to be able to keep their food and shelter to themselves. With most other species they simply ignore each other but that isn’t the case here.

The venom that the Blue-Ringed Octopus is able to release is a huge concern for humans. In fact, it is the only type that is able to kill human if they get bitten by one of these octopuses. That is a prime reason why many people avoid bodies of water where they happen to live. They worry about stepping on one and it biting in retaliation.

How can I see If The Blue Ringed Octopus is aggressive?

Answer: It will give you a fair warning by Flashing Bright Blue Rings.

Where do I find the Blue Ringed Octopus? – Habitat/Distribution

Indian and Pacific Oceans (Shallow waters) are the Blue-ringed octopuses habitats.
This type of Octopus isn’t as widely distributed out there as many others. They are known to reside in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean. The largest groups are in the waters around Japan and Australia. Determining the exact locations of them there can be difficult as they move often. They continue to find new homes every couple of weeks for safety.Octopus Feeding Read Or Listen To The Article Click Here

Diet/Feeding Habits

They generally are able to find plenty to eat due to the diverse nature of their diet. They hunt at night and thanks to their excellent vision they are able to find food with no trouble at all. They consume shrimp, fish, and hermit crabs. They are successful hunters due to their speed. They are able to place venom into the body of their prey in very little time.

This process is one that completely paralyzes the prey. This gives the Blue-Ringed Octopus plenty of time to come in and to use its powerful beak to break the shells. Then it can consume the food source inside of it. They are also known for their cannibal behaviors. Yet it is important to point out that they consume each other for territorial rights and not due to the urge to find food.

Reproduction

As I mentioned they are very isolated due to the aggressive nature they portray. They do change that tune though when they are ready to take part in mating. The males and females will stay in the same area for a couple of days in order to for the mating to occur as many times as possible during that period of time.

The males love the act of mating, and so the females have to push them away after a couple of days. They will be persistent which can result in some bitter battles taking place. The females are ready by then to be left alone and they will do whatever they have to in order to get that message conveyed to the male.

Once they are done with the mating process they will go their separate ways. The females will have about 50 eggs that develop in their bodies. They will fertilize them with the sperm they gathered from the male. Once she has successfully done that she will place them securely under her arms. The suctioning power will keep them in place until they are ready to hatch.

Both the males and the females have a very short life span. The males will die soon after mating is finished. This can be within a couple of days or they may have a few weeks of life left. For the females, once she has those eggs to care for her own needs are no longer a priority. She will begin shutting down too with her death being very close to the hatching of her eggs. The average life span for this Octopus is 1 ½ year.

Predators

There are quite a few different predators out there that the Blue – Ringed Octopus has to deal with. They include whales, eels, and birds. These types of predators are able to get to them very quickly and with the element of surprise on their side. There are times though when these predators become the prey due to the Octopus getting a good bite. That will immobilize them. The Octopus can either feed or it can swim away.

Due to the very danger of these octopuses, they are also heavily hunted by humans. They figure it is best to get rid of them from the water than to live in fear of them. Most people don’t seem to think there is anything wrong with hunting them so that people can be safer in the water.

Please leave a comment or ask any questions. You are also welcome to share a story, experience or a link to something interesting about octopuses.

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California Two-Spot Octopus – Octopus bimaculoides

Description

The California Two-Spot Octopus offers a very distinct appearance. It is also known by the name Bimac Octopus. They have blue spots around the eyes that can vary as far as the shade of it. The body spans about 7 inches in regards to the mantle. The arms though are considerably longer with a reach of about 25 inches.

The coloring for the overall body though can be very different, it all depends on where they happen to be in their environment. They are commonly a grayish coloring with yellow spots on them. They do have the ability to change colors though through the control of their pigments.

Distribution

With a name like this, there is no guess work involved with where they happen to be located. They do very well in the warm waters, from 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. While that is where most of them live though there are some other locations they have for habitat as well. They include the waters of Mexico, Africa, and areas of Japan.

They tend to live about 65 feet below the surface of the water. Generally Octopus live much deeper so this gives people the opportunity to see them frequently compared to other species. Therefore they are in the shallow areas so they can reach the sandy bottoms of the water. They like to hide in rocks and crevices found there.

Behavior

When it comes to Octopus this is believed to be one of the friendliest species. They do spend most of their time isolated. However, if you are going to have a type of Octopus as a pet then this would be the one to have. They are very intelligent animals though so if you have one as a pet you need to be prepared. They are known to find ways to take the lids off of aquariums and escape.

They don’t seem to go into hiding as much as other species of Octopus in the wild. They seem to be more confident in their ability to blend in. They are tolerant of other types of Octopus around them too as long as they aren’t directly competing for food.

Diet /Feeding

The California Two- Spot Octopus has plenty of opportunity for feeding where they reside. A steady stream of mollusks and crustaceans are readily available. They are easily able to remove the shells from most of their prey. Those that they can’t are removed through the toxins in their saliva. These Octopus will also eat small fish when they have the opportunity.

Reproduction

Mating takes place at a young age for these Octopus as they have a life span of no more than two years. The males will avoid females until they are ready for mating, and then aggressively pursue them. It is common for them to mate with as many females as they can. After that period of time is over though the functions of the body simply start shutting down. The males won’t live more than a few weeks after mating.

The females have the same destiny, but first they have to fertilize their eggs with the sperm that the male has deposited into their body cavity. They will fertilize the thousands of eggs one by one. Then they tuck them under their arms in an effort to protect them until they are ready to hatch. Exhausted and without food for months the female will die as they start to hatch.

Human interaction

Many people have reported interacting with this particular species of Octopus due to the shallow waters where they live. Generally the Octopus will swim away in a hurry. Sometimes it will release ink too in order to help them get away without being followed. They aren’t dangerous to humans so there is nothing to worry about if you are in the water with them.

Caribbean Reef Octopus – Octopus briareus

Description

The Caribbean Reef Octopus is one that has a fascinating look to it. The combination of blue and green color is something that gets people’s attention. There can be brown on them too which ranges in shades of color. This is their coloring though when they are in their normal state. They are able to change the pigment of their body with ease. This serves as a type protection for them from predators.

They are often mistaken for Common Octopus species. One way to definitely tell them apart is by looking at the eyes. The Caribbean Reef Octopus has very dark circles of color around them. The body is about 5 inches in length but the span of the arms is quite a bit more. This can cover the space of about 23 inches. The overall size of them really depends on the particular region where they happen to live.

Anatomy

This is a medium sized type of Octopus, with an overall weight of just over three pounds. They have a head that is very large which is part of their mantle. The eight arms are extremely thick. They aren’t able to move as quickly as other species of Octopus but they don’t have to. Their abilities to lie flat allow them to appear like part of the natural scenery instead of a living creature. The body is often arranged in a pattern that looks like a parachute that is open and lying on the ground.

Evolution

While there are several theories about the evolution process for the Corral Reef Octopus there really isn’t any concrete evidence. It is believed that the Octopus has been on Earth for millions of years. Finding fossilized remains though is extremely difficult. We really have nothing to compare them to now versus early species.

Hopefully we will one day develop the right technology to allow that to happen. In the mean time though it can be fun to explore the possibilities. One of them is that the Octopus used to crawl around on the bottom of the ocean with two legs. The development of the additional legs helped it to use its senses for survival.

Behavior

Like all Octopus they live on their own out there. They don’t seem to be too bothered though when other types of Octopus come into contact with them. The passage is often something that occurs without any interaction at all. The only time they will pay any real attention to others around them is when they are interested in mating.

While all types of Octopus are very intelligent, this specific species is said to be among the most intelligent of them all. Extensive research though is almost impossible on them. This is because of the fact that they don’t live very long lives. It is believed that their intelligence would continue to develop and to improve though if they lived longer.

Habitat/Distribution

This is one type of Octopus that has quite a large dispersement out there. They are found around the Bahamas, and of course the Caribbean where their name comes from. They are well known in the Atlantic Ocean, especially around the Western region of it. They love to reside in sea grass and along the corral reefs out there. They do glow at nigh under lighting due to their coloring.

Generally you will only find the Caribbean Reef Octopus out there in areas where they can be in warm water. They will move around from one location to another, never staying for more than a couple of weeks in any one set location. The females that have laid eggs are easy to notice though. They will continue to hover over a given area until they die or their eggs hatch.

Caribbean reef octopus – Octopus briareus

Diet/Feeding Habits

The Caribbean Reef Octopus spends most of its night looking for food. They majority of the diet is made up of crustaceans. They will capture them in the webbing of their arms, bite to release venom, and then the paralyzed critter won’t have any way to survive against it as the beak breaks the shell and eats what is inside of it. Various types of small fish are also known to be part of their diet as well.

Reproduction

Since this species of Octopus doesn’t live for very long, they are able to mate when they are from 3 to 4 months of age. The males seem to mature sooner than the females. The males will die sooner than the males as their role in mating is done once they have successfully released the sperm sac from their body to that of the female.

The males will actually fight with each other for the right to be able to mate with a given female. They would likely not be so eager to do so though if they knew that they would die. This fighting though is nature’s way of ensuring that the best genetic materials are able to be passed on to the future generations of offspring.

Even though the male is able to win that battle, he is far from done fighting. The female may not want to mate with him at all. If she doesn’t and he continues to pursue him she may bite off body parts or kill him. Yet the desire to mate is very instinctive for the males so they will continue to pursue a female. She generally will take part in mating as long as her basic needs are being met.

The female will die after mating too but she has one more aspect of life left to complete. Her mission at that point in time is to make sure as many of her eggs are able to be fertilized by the sperm and to hatch. There can be as many as 500 eggs that she will release from her body. She will lay them in either January or February. The warmer the water temperature is the sooner she will release them.

The incubation period will also be affected by the water. When it is warm the may only have 50 days or so before they hatch. In cooler temperatures it can be as long as 80 days though. The young offspring are amazing – able to move quickly through the water and to instinctively find food. They have a very quick growth rate too due to the whirlwind life span for them.

Predators

Depending on the location where the Caribbean Reef Octopus lives, it can have some concerns with various types of predators. Among them include eels, stingrays, small species of sharks, and various types of fish. They do put up a very good fight against these types of predators. If they can’t run then they will release ink from their bodies to confuse the predators.

This is one species of Octopus that humans continually hunt as well. They are considered to be great for various types of meals. You can buy them to cook on your own or you can eat at certain restaurants that offer them on the menu. They aren’t in any jeopardy though of being extinct as there is more than enough of them out there that live in the wild.